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The Problem of Channelling and Channellers

Update Feb 2013

By Leoni Hodgson, PMAFA, MSE (Psych), PhDe Esotericism

There has been an explosion of spiritual teachings and communications on the planet over the last one hundred and fifty years. Some are genuine, coming from credible esoteric sources such as Helena Blavatsky or Alice Bailey. But most are interpretations of the true teachings, which in the author’s opinion are dubious at best, and filled with distortions, personal biases, or downright nonsense, at worst. Many “young souls” – those who have not yet developed mental discrimination and have not studied credible esoteric teachings, are “taken in” by these false prophets and their prophecies. This will continue until the student develops a cycle of doubt and becomes more discerning. This paper explores this topic.

A. Levels of Consciousness on our Planet

1. There are seven levels of consciousness on Earth. The higher four we generally call “spiritual” or superhuman, because they are beyond man’s normal range of consciousness. The lower three are the human worlds of mind, emotions and physical.

·Our human souls or developing points of wisdom are on the higher 5th Mental Plane.

·Our human minds are on the lower 5th Mental Plane

·Our emotions are on the 6th Astral Plane

·Our physical bodies are on the 7th Physical Plane.

2. The ultimate spiritual goal for man is to become spiritually aware. That is, to ascend in consciousness, up the planes – to build a channel of consciousness from the brain, to the mind, to soul wisdom, then to spirit.

3. We achieve this; we raise our level successively through the planes as we learn from the experiences presented to us in our various incarnations. We can also hasten the building of the inner link (antahkarana or rainbow bridge) through concentrated meditation of the esoteric type. (Meditation using the mind as an analytical factor).

4. These higher levels of consciousness and communication are not available to us until we have built this inner link.

5. When communications or energy transmissions originate on any plane, they degrade in quality as they pass down through lower planes, finally exhausting themselves on the physical plane.

6. So for example, a message originating from the 3rd Atma Plane, can only be received in its pure form by those who are consciously aware at that or a higher level. Everyone else below gets a message that is degrading. The lower down the ladder, the more distorted is the message.

B. Mystics – those who focus in their emotions

1. Most people on Earth have not yet developed a good reasoning mind, but focus instead, in their emotions. They do not think issues through carefully or look for evidence and facts, but make decisions based on how they feel, or by what they are told.

2. In terms of ascension, they have only forged a consciousness link from the physical to the emotional.

3. People who blindly accept channelled information, are mostly in this group.

4. People in this group who also have a yearning to connect with God or with their spiritual side, are called “mystics”.

5. Many mystics believe that spiritual realisation or union with the Divine can occur through devotional means. By wishing, hoping, praying and yearning for union. Although that may have been true in the past for younger races, it is not appropriate, and it does not work, for modern man whose task is to develop the mind.

6. GLAMOUR: such people are victims of a particular psychological problem called Glamour. This is the tendency to distort reality because of emotional bias. Because they wish and hope something is true, such people hypnotise themselves into believing it to be so, even when there is no hard evidence to support the belief.

Even advanced mystics and occultists (who use the mind) must guard against its attractive lure. They can be so earnest in their desire to contact and communicate with their God, Guru or Teacher, that they may readily interpret the “visions” or impressions they receive as coming from a divine source. Others could convince themselves they are the receivers of special attention from the Master.

7. If a voice is heard by a spiritually undeveloped person (according to the esoteric measure), then it is 99.99% likely to come from a non-spiritual source, from the higher unmanifested levels of the Astral or Emotional Plane. This is the plane of delusion where the emotions, dreams and imaginings of humanity reside. They take form and people who are susceptible and see them, or hear them speak, call them spiritual. But they are tuning in only to the dumping ground of man’s wish life and imagination. The spiritual planes are higher. The Masters and saints do not live on the astral plane.

8. However, it is important to understand that the mystical stage is a normal and natural stage we all go through, on the journey of the soul towards enlightenment.

C. The Importance of the Mind in Spiritual Growth

1. Gautama Buddha used his mind to reason his way to enlightenment. The entire Buddhist philosophy centres on developing the mind as a means to become enlightened and wise.

2. Those who use their minds are sometimes called Occultists or Esotericists, to distinguish them from mystics of the type refered to, who do not.

3. If we refer back to the list of planes and ascension, when the mind is alive and working, the consciousness link spans the physical, to the emotional, to the mind. At this stage, the higher bodies on the higher levels – including the soul, have yet to be accessed and developed. Until this inner work is done, people cannot communicate consciously and clearly with the beings that reside in the superhuman realms.

4. The human mind is the instrument that enables us to connect with the higher planes.

5. Sometimes, mystics do manage to bypass the mind through wishing and longing to unite with God. But if so, it is only temporary, and usually cannot be repeated at will. Then, however true the contact made, when the message is brought back down and interpreted by the undeveloped mind, it is filled with distortions because the mind has not been trained to be a recorder of truth and reality.

6. A mind that is developed and trained to be discriminating, is essential for our spiritual training. Mystics who have not done this may not like to hear the truth that, seemingly “non-spiritual” sceptics are more evolved. They have built the higher link and in the future, will re-connect with their mystical side and be quite advanced on the Path of Spiritual Development.

D. The Problem of Channelling

1. A channeller is a person who claims to have received spiritual messages from a higher divine source. But the common channeller is a mystic who is receiving messages from discarnate sources on the higher Astral Plane of delusion. Without adequate mind training, and when consciousness is focused in the emotional nature, then people can delude themselves into believing that they are receiving divine inspiration when actually the source is often from within or from non-spiritual entities on lower planes.

2. It is impossible for true spiritual communications emanating from the higher spiritual planes, which are of a high and fine vibration, to be received by minds and brains that have not been prepared through the correct evolutionary process. If by some chance a true spiritual inspiration is received by a consciousness which is glamoured or focused in the lower worlds, no matter how beautiful the original message, it will be distorted in some essential and important way.

“The days of personality contact, of personality attention and of personal messages are over, and have been over for quite a while, save in the vale of illusion, on the astral plane…. The satisfying of individual aspiration, the meeting of the desire of the probationers and the feeding of spiritual ambition appeal to us not at all. The times are too serious, and the crisis too acute.” Esoteric Psychology I, Alice Bailey p112-113

E. The Wise Person wields the Sword of Discrimination

Helena Blavatsky

So how do we sort out which Messenger to believe?

1. Firstly, read books written by credible esotericists. They provide students with accurate knowledge concerning the manner in which enlightened beings relate with people on earth. For example, the Tibetan Master said that Masters only work with those people who are in touch with their souls.

“Many well-meaning occultists believe that the Masters take a personal interest in them, that (they) have no better occupation than to tell them personally how to live, how to solve their problems and how, in detail, to guide their undertakings… the individual aspirant is of no personal interest to the Master until he has achieved the point in his evolution where he is so closely in touch with his soul that he becomes a magnetic server in the world. Then, and then only, will it profit the Master to throw him a thought, and to give him a hint. Then, as those hints are followed, he may give him more, but, and this is the point that must be emphasized, only in connection with the work that he has to do in the field of world service.”The Labours of Hercules, Alice Bailey p71-72

We need to take this to heart, and refuse to listen to glamorous nonsense. Masters do communicate with their ADVANCED students. But these disciples have done the inner work and can hold their consciousness at the higher level for as long as required. Do not try to fool yourself. If you know that you have much work to do, to establish a durable connection with your soul, that voice you are hearing is coming either from your own self, or from a dubious source in the lower worlds.

2. Study the channeller and the life. Does he or she measure up?

Jesus said, “You Will Know Them by Their Fruits. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing.. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” Bible. St Mathew 5-15

Study the physical body of person and the quality of life: does he or she – drink to excess, take drugs, is promiscuous, immoral, coarse in expression, is harmful in word / thought / act, aggressive when crossed, full of pride, boastfulness, arrogance, criticism, makes claims to status, tries to control your mind and heart, has an unattractive aura which you sense?

There are examples of true and higher Messengers. For instance, Theosophists Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891) and Geoffrey Hodson (1886-1983). But these very advanced souls can be identified by their humility, their profound wisdom, their extensive intelligence and esoteric knowledge, the fineness of their aura, deep moral integrity, stability of emotions and of the life, a clean and balanced sexual life.

3. Do mind training (Buddhist, Raja Yoga), work at occult meditation and establish a stronger conscious connection with the soul, because the true dissipater of glamour is the soul itself. There are other things we can do, but these points come immediately to mind.

F. In Summary

There are many “false prophets” who are peddling their messages, and many of these are very sincere mystics or deluded occultists. Their words are often flowery, loving and help mystics feel good. They make appeal to the emotions and to vanity. With these, the true seeker after wisdom should have nothing to do. Enlightened teachers communicate the fire of occult truth. This usually makes us feel uncomfortable because it strips away our pretensions and we feel exposed. But it is this essential stripping away of the coarse levels of our being, which enables us to move closer to Spirit. Look for the true wisdom and find those disciples teaching it. Close your ears to all else.

I found this article very reasonable. When I want to touch the ecstasy and energy of a higher plane I do a very specific breathing technique. A natural consequence of this is insight into my experience of the human condition. I believe you are precisely correct when you say that you must fine tune yourself to receive information. However I belive it is very easy to receive inspiration that has little substance. I never had the intention to channel.

Again, I believe you are precisely correct with the concept of glamour. I independently arrived at this conclusion. During my session of connecting to a higher plane there is a tendency for random emission that amplifies and energizes existing distortions. At the very least that is similar to what I belive glamour is.

I have met a master in my dreams twice. I am not pre-occupied thinking about what a master can do or helping me. During a session of touching higher planes I question my own problems and blocks. I again agree with what the article said in this regard.

I have not yet rised above my desires. It is a challenge to heal yourself by realizing that you do not need healing. I am on the path with much to understand.

Hello Julian, I am sorry, but I do not know of Robert Shapiro. You can make the comparison. True intuitives work from the higher level of spiritual love or “Buddhi-Intuition”, which is “instant knowing”, because consciousness has become identified with the “whole”. Such people are no longer identified with the individual personality life, or seek to draw attention to their individual powers or acquire material rewards. They “live” in consciousness at that higher level. They are selfless and work quietly behind the scenes for the good of all, for the love of all. There are some who have amazing powers, but function at a less selfless level. their motive, is different. Editor.